1972 Lotus Elan Sprint DHC

• Only two private owners from new. First from 1972 - 2014 when our vendor bought this special car through Silverstone Auctions
• Finished in the iconic Gold Leaf colours made famous by Lotus Racing Grand Prix cars of the late sixties
• Large history file illustrating that the first owner was meticulous in every little job carried out from 1972 - 2014
• Treated to a new chassis directly from Lotus Cars in 1992 fitted by renowned marque specialist Paul Matty
• Just over 79,250 genuine miles from new, in fantastic condition
• A superb driving example of one of the finest handling of all British classics

The glass fibre-bodied Elan may only have been available initially as a Roadster Kit but its specification was very advanced and adhered to Chapman's “just add lightness” engineering philosophy. Power came from Harry Mundy's Ford-based Lotus 1558cc DOHC engine (now a legend in its own right), it was fitted with disc brakes all round, and the independent suspension was set up to optimise ride quality and handling finesse, qualities for which this little car is still admired. It soon sired other derivatives including the Type 26R racer, the Type 36 fixed-head coupe, the Type 45 drop-head coupe, and the Type 50 Elan +2 of 1967. 

The 1971 Elan Sprint was essentially based on the Series 4 Elan bodyshell and was primarily designed to rekindle demand and improve the performance of the nine-year-old sports car. Conceived by Lotus Sales Director, Graham Arnold, the Sprint's most notable external feature was the horizontally split two-tone paintwork in half a dozen vibrant colours. Meanwhile, providing the 'go to match the show' a new big-valve cylinder head with high-lift cams and a raised compression ratio, the work of Engineering Director Tony Rudd, provided a 25% increase in power to 126bhp. The drivetrain was suitably toughened and braced and the front callipers were redesigned to cope with the increased performance which was brisk for the time with 60mph arriving in 6.6 seconds,100mph in 19 seconds and a top speed of 123mph.

This particular DHC is a very special car indeed, having had only two private owners from new. Purchased new on 30th November 1972 by the first registered keeper from Roger Clark Cars Ltd, the original bill of sale shows that he put down a mere £20 deposit and agreed to buy the car for £1,867. He owned ‘GNR 628L’ from 1972 all the way up to 2014 when he asked Silverstone Auctions to offer it through our Race Retro 2014 auction. The current owner was the lucky buyer on the day and this pretty Elan has formed part of his significant collection ever since.

Judging by the large history file, this car has clearly been treasured by its two owners over the years. In 1992, it was treated to a new chassis directly from Lotus Cars, part number LR2731, and this was fitted by renowned marque specialist, Paul Matty. Having covered just over 79,250 genuine miles from new, the car is in fantastic condition. The previous owner was meticulous in every little job carried out from 1972-2014, from mechanical components all the way through to the light fixings, this car has been carefully maintained as the pride and joy of two private collectors.

Finished in the most appropriate Gold Leaf colour combination made famous by the Lotus Grand Prix cars of the era, GNR 628L will be supplied with a full year's MOT and offers its next owner a mouth-watering opportunity to be only the third registered keeper of this iconic and collectable little Lotus. We can confirm this special example drives superbly and is ready for its next owner to use and enjoy.